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2010 Middle Infielders

Here is the second part in my series on 2010 draft prospects by position. Here are the middle infielders:

College Prospects

Christian Colon, Cal State FullertonA broken leg won’t keep Colon down, and I think he’ll come back quite effectively for the spring season. He doesn’t really have any plus-plus tools, but he’s a great all-around player and the best middle infield prospect available in the 2010 class. Projected draft slot: Early-first to mid-first round.

Rick Hague, RiceHague played third base for Team USA this summer, but he’s probably going to stick at shortstop in pro ball with some improvement. He’s a solid hitter with some work to do with his approach, but he’s got the natural talent to be an above-average hitter from the shortstop position. He might eventually have to move to third base, but he proved he’s an excellent fielder there this summer, so that’s not necessarily a horrible thing. Projected draft slot: Mid-first to early-second round.

Jedd Gyorko, West VirginiaI’ve gone back and forth on whether to list Gyorko as a second baseman or third baseman, and I think I’ve settled here…for now. He’s got a plus hit tool with some good raw power, and he could turn out to be one of the best hitters from this draft class. He has a college approach to hitting and will be picked on the bat alone. Projected draft position: Late-first to mid-second round.

Derek Dietrich, Georgia TechDietrich is another guy that might be a third baseman, but his position for now is shortstop. He really struggled this summer on the Cape, and there’s a lot of doubt about both his bat and glove. He’s got an average hit tool with average raw power, but he strikes out a lot. He does run the count up, but he ends up striking out just too much. His glove isn’t that good, either, and in all likelihood he’s a third baseman. Projected draft position: Supplemental-first to late-second round.

Ross Wilson, AlabamaWilson is a middle infielder that might fit at either second or short, though his position right now is second with the Crimson Tide alongside 2010 shortstop prospect Josh Rutledge. Wilson’s one of those all-around solid hitters that has improved year-to-year and should be a solid pro hitter, too. He’s got a good eye at the plate and a solid hit tool with decent power, so he should be an intriguing guy to watch in the spring. Projected draft position: Early-second to early-third round.

Prep Prospects

Manny Machado, Brito Private HS (FL)Machado’s a big kid for a shortstop, but he’s athletic and shows flashes of being a good defender. He has a bat wrap, but he’s actually hit the ball really well, especially with Team USA, where he was the best hitter on the 18U team. Projected draft position: Mid-first to early-second round.

Yordy Cabrera, Lakeland HS (FL)Florida always seems to be brimming with prep shortstops, and this year is no different. Some scouts prefer Cabrera to Machado, though Cabrera’s bigger and might be a long-term third baseman. He needs to work on his plate discipline and pitch recognition skills, as he might become the next Miguel Tejada in those areas at the plate without major work. Projected draft position: Late-first to mid-second round.

Justin O’Conner, Cowan HS (IN)There aren’t a lot of Indiana prep prospects that go straight to the pros, especially this high up, but O’Conner’s the exception. Unlike Machado and Cabrera, there aren’t a lot of questions around O’Conner’s ability to stay at shortstop long-term, and he should be a solid hitter, too. Projected draft position: Late-first to late-second round.

Anthony Wolters, Rancho Buena Vista HS (CA)Wolters is the only major prep prospect in this class that might turn out to be a second baseman in the long-term. He’s got a plus hit tool and is a heady player, and while he isn’t blessed with all the tools of the players listed above, he’s one of the better on-field performers in this class. Projected draft position: Early-second to early-third round.

Zach Alvord, South Forsyth HS (GA)Alvord is a skilled player from Georgia that profiles as a decent shortstop or plus second baseman. He is a very skilled hitter with a plus hit tool and possible plus power, and much of his value is wrapped up in his bat. He has a great chance to rise a lot between now and June, but he needs to keep hitting to attract scouting attention, as he’s not an extremely good athlete. Projected draft position: Early-second to mid-third round.

Just some quick food for thought. O’Connor’s name came up in conversation when I was talking to an area scout recently. Supposedly, the scout thought O’Connor should be drafted and moved to catcher, where he thinks O’Connor has the tools and intelligence to man the position successfully. Definitely made kid sound intriguing.

If Cabrera will turn out like Miguel Tejada if he *doesn’t* work on plate recognition, what will he do if he does improve in that area. I would bet that any team not picking 1st overall would love to draft a player with the downside of Miguel Tejada – Tejada has had a phenomenal career.

He said “in those areas.” So, if he doesn’t improve his plate discipline, he may end up being as reluctant to walk as Miguel Tejada. That doesn’t mean that he’ll have all of Tejada’s other, more positive, skills.

Are you going to finish up your draft reviews, or is that a dead letter now since you’re already looking ahead to 2010? I really liked them–helps place the picks in context of GM philosophy and team needs.

Pretty good summation of top hs mif’s.(it was on PG) Top 2010 HS MIFs. Based on summer performance(PG Natl SC,TOS,Area Code, East Pro SC, Under Armour & AFLAC) and lots of discussions.
no certain order.(Top college MIFs to follow)

Justin O’Connor 6’1- Aflac All American. Plus arm strength(also top p prospect 92-94) Avg plus speed (6.72 60 PG Natl SC) 4.35 to first.Pop in bat at times.Won HR derby at PG Natl. Didnt hit well at Area Code or Aflac during games but did well in bp. Possibly working out at C which is very intriguing. High Potential.

Tony Wolters 5’8- Aflac All American. Size dictates 2b all the way but for now tools play at ss.(6.81 60 at PG Natl SC) Smooth actions-good bat speed. Pure bb player.Solid Area Code, hit game tying triple. Was named Aflac MVP. Won Rawlings Golden Glove award in San Diego. Team USA alum. Love the way he plays,brawler. Skys the limit.

Manny Machado 6’2 -Lean frame- bottom half needs more development. Avg arm strength. 6.81-60 @PG Natl SC. 4.42 to first.Hits ball hard,gets good extenstion. Performed well at TOS and (offensively)for Team USA this fall. Glove is question mark at this point,he has smooth actions that help. All in all very solid. High Potential

Marcus Littlewood 6’3 – Aflac All American switch hitter- more polished from L side. Disciplined hitter. Good poise.Walked 4 times in Aflac game.Good smooth D actions but speed may hinder at upper levels.6.90 60- 4.52 to first from right side. Finished strong for Cincinnati Reds in Area Code outing, exhibits solid tools.Team USA Alum. High potential.

Matt Lipka 6’1 – Aflac All American. Possibly one of the most athletic mif of the draft class. (Texas All State WR)Great makeup. Plus plus runner 6.35 60 / 4.12 to first from R side. Hard line drive swing plane. Avg arm. plus defender. needs to smooth out inf actions. Made the Rawlings play of game ( Lipka-Wolters-Lakind)at Aflac. Named to All Area Code Team for Texas Rangers. Team USA Alum. Plays all out and grinds..High potential.

Yordy Cabrera6’4 – Aflac and Under Armour All American. The oldest of all the hs mifs(19 this spring)Has bloodlines and size to play in the bigs right now.Won HR Derby at Aflac and hit monster shot at Under Armour game.. Plus bat speed-quick to the ball-big power potential.Good arm strength (also top P prospect) in the inf. Quick with a 6.60 60 /4.40 to first base. solid D actions and great overall tools. Fun to watch.

Garin Cecchini 6’2 -Under Armour All American. Big frame. Solid and smooth mif. Good arm strength. Projects well at 3b also. Classic left handed swing- good pull and lift. Good plate discipline. 6.88 60 .Played good lf for Team USA this fall. Plays the game the right way. High Potential.

The list posted by Price is the best synopsis of the 2010 prep SS’s that I’ve seen. This draft is about to get crazy when you factor in their approach, makeup and tools. Some will rise, some will fall.